MURREE, Sept 3: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supports the formation of new provinces but on administrative basis, this was stated by Member of National Assembly Ahsan Iqbal while giving briefing to media after a high ranking meeting of PML-N, here in the Government House Murree, under the chair of Nawaz Sharif.

He further added that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government is not sincere in forming new provinces but is playing politically with the emotions of the people of South Punjab as it did not make any effort to get consensus on this issue as it was obtained during the 18th constitutional amendment, nor kept any financial budget for new provinces in the National Finance Award.

He said that how can the division of Punjab be considered when the elected government of the province and the leader of the ruling PML-N in the province has not been taken into confidence.

PPP deliberately kept the issue of the division of Punjab in delay as it intended to use it as a election slogan.

It was the re-confederation of the state and needs a wide consensus, even the Chief Minister of Balochistan has shown his reservations on the formation of the commission, Mr Ahsan further added.

He said the PML-N has shown great concern over the deteriorating economic condition of the country and the recent cruel increase in petroleum products, he said that PPP government is spending its budget on luxuries and putting burden on poor people of the country, who are already under great pressure of price hike and unemployment.

According to Mr Ahsan, PML-N in its meeting also showed great concern over the law and order, especially target killings in Karachi and Balochistan.

He said that the participant of the meeting showed great resentment that the total foreign debt was Rs5.5 trillion, during the last sixty years but the present government due to its corruption and mismanagement raised this figure to 12 trillion, which is a serious blow to the already deteriorating economy of the country.

While answering to a question Mr Ahsan said that the PML-N will take all opposition parties into confidence, while proposing the names of caretaker prime minister and chief ministers, and even with the government as it is the prerequisite for the formation of caretaker government that leader of the opposition should be taken into confidence by making a meaningful consultation with him.

He said that PML-N smelled that the “slogan” of local bodies election is raised to make plans for pre-poll rigging by the PPP government as it feared to lose the upcoming elections due to its corruption and poor government during the last four years.

He said that Benazir Bhutto also demanded from General Pervez Musharaf to dissolve local governments’ during the elections of 2008 to avert any plan of election rigging.

He said that government is deliberately delaying the Accountability Bill and wanted to make a “toothless” commission to evade corruption but PML-N will not support such a weak and ineffective Accountability Bureau, which was agreed upon by PML-N and PPP in Charter of Democracy.

The meeting was attended by leader of the opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan, Sardar Mehtab Abbasi, Senator Ishaq Dar and other PML-N leaders from Punjab.